Top construction for a vehicle body



Nov. 20, 1934. .1. c. MILLER 1,981,060

TOP CONSTRUCTION FOR A VEHICLE BODY Filed June 21, 1935 .YNVENTOR. (/Z/L/l/J C. MILLER,

ATTORNEYJ'.

Patented Nov. 20, 1934 uNi'rEns ATEs 1,981,060 v TOP CONSTRUCTION FOR A VEHICLE Bony Julius C. Miller, Detroit, Mich., assignor to 'General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application June 21, 1933, Serial No. 676,868

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a top construction for a vehicle body and more particularly to a top construction of the collapsible bow type. It is desirable that a demountable top of collapsible bow type should be easily raised and lowered and preferably by a single individual.

It is an object of this invention to produce a vehicle top of the collapsible bow type which can be readily raised and lowered by a single individual, and this has been achieved by utilizing the front breakable cant rail as a control for the bow portion of the top whereby the folding of the bow portion is controlled by the breaking of the front cant rail.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing the top in raised position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the front cant rail partially broken and the rear bow at the beginning of its collapse.

Fig. 3 shows the front cant rail completely collapsed against the front bow and the rear bow partially collapsed.

Fig. 4 shows the top completely collapsed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top elevation showing the relative position of the cant rail and associated linkage.

Referring more particularly to the drawing there is shown a vehicle body 1 having a windshield 2 and a nest 3 for the reception of the collapsible top, generally designated 4, when in lowered position.

The collapsible top structure comprises a front header rail 5, a front bow 6, and a rear bow 7 35 which have secured thereto and support a canopy 8 of any suitable flexible material, such as fabric or leather. The canopy 8 is secured along its rear bottom edge as at 9 to the body by any suitable means.

The header 5 is operatively connected to the front bow 6 by a breakable cant rail which comprises the levers 10 and 11 pivoted to each other as at 12. The lever 11 is pivotally secured to the front bow 6 as at 13. The lever 10 has pivotally secured thereto, as at 14 the link 15 which in turn is pivotally secured to the front bow as at 16.

The front bow 6 is pivoted to the body at its lower ends as at 17. The bow 6 is braced by a snap over center brace comprising links 18 and 19. The link 18 is pivoted to the bow 6 as at the link 19 is pivoted to the body as at 21. The adjacent ends of the links 18 and 19 are pivoted to each other and to the rear bow 7 as at 23.

55 The rear bow '7 is connected to the front bow 6 by a toggle comprising links 24 and 25. The toggle link 24 is pivotally connected to the bow 6, as at 26, and the toggle link 25 is pivotally connected to the bow '7, as at 2'7. The adjacent ends of the toggle links 24 and 25 are pivotally connected to the link 28 as at 29. The opposite end of the link 28 is pivotally connected as at 30 to the end of the lever 11 which projects beyond the pivot 13.

As shown in Fig. 1 the top is in raised position. To collapse the top the header 5, which may be detachably connected to the windshield in any conventional manner, is disconnected and then moved rearwardly as shown in Fig. 2. The rearward movement of the header 5 breaks the front cant rail downwardly thus causing the pivot 30 to raise which in turn draws the link 28 upwardly. The upward movement of the link 28 breaks the toggle links 24 and 25 upwardly which in tum draws the rear bow '7 forwardly. At the same time the upward movement of the link 28, which is controlled by the lowering or counter-clockwise movement of the lever 11, causes the links 18 and 19 of the rear bow brace to break forwardly and downwardly as indicated progressively in 30 Figs. 2 and 3, which in turn causes the front bow 6 to pivot clockwise about its pivot 17 into collapsed position along with the rear bow 7 into the nest 3, as shown in Fig. 4. In other words, as shown progressively in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the 5 entire collapse of the front and rear bow and associated linkage is controlled by the breaking of the front cant rail thus making the collapsing of the top a simple and relatively easy thing which can readily be accomplished by a single individual.

When it is desired to raise the top the reverse of the above operations are gone through. The header 5 is raised from the position shown in Fig. 4 and drawn forwardly toward the Windshield 5 which causes the bow 6 to pivot into upright position. At the same time the swinging of the cant rail into open position causes the lever 11, through the link 28 to open the toggle links 24 and 25 which in turn assists in the opening of the links 18 and 19 which are thrown over center, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus automatically raise the rear how 7 and brace the front bow 6. When the top is in raised position, as shown in Fig. 1, the toggle 24, 25 is likewise preferably thrown slightly over center.

I claim:

1. A collapsible top for an automotive vehicle or the like, comprising a bow having a pivotal connection with the body, a detachable wind- 0 toggle links one of which a pivotal connection with the aforesaid links and the other of which has a pivotal connection with the 'bowlocated between the pivotal connection Of the bow with the body and the pivotal connection of the gbowj and the cant rail, and a link connecting the end of the cant rail lever with the said toggle whereby the breaking of the cant rail controls the col"- lapsing of the bow. 1

2. A collapsible top for an automotive vehicle orthe like, vcomprising incombination a front bow having its' lowerend pivotally connected to the body, a detachable windshield header, a downwardly breakable cant rail comprising. a pair of levers pivotally connected to each other between the front bow and the header and one of which extends horizontally forward from, and has a pivotal connection with, thefront bow between its opposite ends to provide an overhanging portion, a rear bow, a brace comprising a pair of links having their adjacent ends pivotally connected to each other and to the rear bow and their opposite ends pivotallyconnected respectively with the front bow and to the body, the pivotal l connection of the said link with the body being positioned to the rear of the pivotal connection "of the front =bow'wit h the body, a pair of toggle links one of which pivotally connected to the rear lbcwand the other of which is pivotally connected t o-- -the front bow between the pivotal connection of the front bow with the body and the pivotal connection of the front bow with the cant rail lever, and a link connecting the toggle links with the overhanging end of the cant rail lever :whereby thecollapsin of the said bow is controlled by the breaking of the said cant rail.

JULIUS -C. 

